Sometimes it just takes a little followup. That’s what got a $896 ticket vaporized that the city of Las Vegas had erroneously slapped on Charlotte’s car while it was 2,000 miles away in New York state.

As I wrote previously, Charlotte had received the ticket and called up the Las Vegas parking lair, only to be met with a befuddled and bumbling clerk who could only suggest that she mail in a letter. Charlotte decided to call back today, and this time got a different clerk, Brandy. Brandy got on the case right away.

Brandy pulled up the ticket and found that the officer, who had written the ticket by hand, had transposed a U for a V in the license plate. The ticket had also been written for a Kia, while Charlotte’s car was a Camry.

The clerk then voided out the ticket, apologized for the inconvenience, and let the debt collectors who had been hounding Charlotte know that the debt was null.

THE TAKEAWAY: “Calling repeatedly about the same problem can be a useful tactic when grappling with bureaucracy,” writes Charlotte. “Who picks up on the other end can make all the difference.”

Parking Office Confirms: New York Camry Did Not Spontaneously Materialize in Vegas to Receive Gargantuan Parking Ticket [Hello, my name is Charlotte]

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